Life's Unexpected Gifts: A HEARTLAND Story
by horsefreak18
Summary: Caleb O'dell and Ashley Stanton are happily married. Life couldn't get any better than this well, except val dosn't really approve of ashley's choice of husband. Oh, and of course they could always use more money,but that's not really the big problem...
1. Chapter 1

**Life's unexpected Gifts**

**A HEARTLAND story**

**I woke up in our little trailer we call home to find my wonderful husband cooking breakfast, although it wasn't exactly "Wonderful" because I felt sick and had the worst headache.**

**I sat up and looked at Caleb. "Hey, ash." "You've been asleep a while." "Ya, just been really tired lately." "Working at Maggie's everyday for ten hours can do that." He kissed me and put a plate in front of me. "Ugh, you know I'm not that hungry." I pushed the plate away with a disgusted look upon my face. "Ash, you love bacon! What's wrong with you?" "I think I've just got the flu or something..." "Well, I'm going to take a shower, feel better." He walked off and I heard the sounds of running water from our tiny bathroom. I heard the phone ring and it was Amy wanting to go for a ride since I was off work today. I said I didn't feel up to the ride but I would meet her at the diner.**

**I pulled up to a parking spot and went in. Amy was already there waiting for me. She greeted me with a shocked look. "Wow, you look…" "Horrible? Ya I know." I shot back at her. "Are you o.k.?" she asked now concerned. "I don't know… I think I've got a cold or something." I said "Well, what are your symptoms?" asked Amy "Let's see... Headache, I feel like I'm gonna throw up all the time and I've been really tired." Just then I was interrupted by Mallory who was of course hearing our whole conversation and sat by Amy. "Hmm, you know that sounds exactly like what my mom was going though before she had me."**

"**Ugh! Mallory I really don't need your advice." I said "You know maybe you should listen, that's what I was about to say..." Amy said.**

"**So, your saying I might be…pregnant?" I looked at Mallory who said "Ya, Maybe you should take at test." "This is so stupid I shouldn't even be having this conversation! I mean there is just no way I can be pregnant!" I almost shouted Mallory and Amy gave me that sympathetic look and said "Better safe than sorry." Just then I looked **

**Around, people were looking at me with horrified looks. I realized I was so loud the whole restaurant could hear me.**

"**I can't believe I'm even doing this!" I said as we were walking though the isles at the local Calgary drug store. "It's obviously going to be negative and I'm just worrying over nothing." "Or it could say you have a new O'Dell on the way…" Amy rolled her eyes at Mallory and faced me with a weak smile and said "Everything is going to be fine." **

**I finally got to the trailer and noticed Caleb was sitting at the table and he was eating a sandwich. I walked to the bathroom with my brown paper bag and tried no to be seen. "Hey, what you got there ash?" "Oh! Nothing just something I picked up for my cold today..." I turned and fled to the bathroom. I took the small white emphasis test in my hands and read the fate for the rest of the next nine months and the rest of my life. Positive. My hands started to shake and the thoughts all started to whirl in my head. **_**"How? This can't be happening I'm only 19 I can't deal with a baby right now!" **_** My thoughts were interrupted by a loud knock on the bathroom door. "Ash! You o.k.?" Caleb said franticly.**

"**Yep…Be out in a sec!" I walked out of the bathroom and looked at Caleb; I knew I had to tell him. "Hey, Babe, what took you so long?" Um, I...I need to talk to you." I said shakily "What's wrong?" He placed a hand on my knee. "I can't believe I'm saying this but I'm, Pregnant." **

"**What? How? We…" "One time and that's all it takes." I said trying to hold back my tears. "I Know was married already but, this is still a really bad situation!" "What are we going to do!" "Ash, calm down we'll figure this all out don't worry." Caleb said as he was trying to get me to sit down. "Oh my god! I have to tell my mother!" "Let's not worry about that right now." "Caleb!, she's going to find out once I start looking like a whale!" "You won't look like a whale to me…" He kissed my cheek and held me close. How are we going to do this?" "We can hardly afford to keep this little dinky trailer afloat! And now this?" I said now screaming at Caleb who gave up trying to console me. "You're looking at this the wrong way, Didn't we agree to have kids sometime?" He said looking hopeful "Yes, SOMETIME in the future not now when we are broke, living in a trailer that isn't even big enough for us both!" I said. I turned around now facing the stove we call our "Kitchen" Caleb grabbed my arm and turned me around to face him. "Look, we'll make this work I promise." He said with a smile on his face.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Two weeks had passed and I was wondering how all this was going to work. I still hadn't gotten enough courage to tell my mom. I stared at the clock on the oven like it was holding all the answers to my endless questions. I looked though the window to see beautiful full moon lighting up the night sky. It was 1:00 in the morning. I couldn't get my racing thoughts to slow down long enough for me to sleep. My stomach was churning and I suddenly felt nausea take over my body. I ran to the bathroom and spotted the toilet and started throwing up. I herd heavy footsteps coming toward me. His gentle hands held my hair. Those same hands started rubbing my back in soothing circles; trying to ease my retching as much as he could. I started to feel tears well up in my eyes as I felt another spasm of nausea come over me again. All I could say was _"Oh, god!"_ as I leaned into the toilet's cold white rim. _"I think this is the beginning of hell."_ I sat up and felt the cold hard tile on my bare legs. I herd water running and saw Caleb coming toward me with a wet washcloth. I felt a rush of relief as the cloth was placed on my forehead. _"You ok there ash?"_ Caleb said as he looked into my eyes. _" perfect, I mean why wouldn't I be? I'm up in the middle of the night and can't sleep and I'm puking my guts out…."_ My sentence was cut off by the sobs welling up in my chest tears started to trickle down my pale cheeks Caleb instantly held me and looked into my eyes_ "Ashley, I'm so sorry…I never wanted you to go though all_ _this…" _I cut his sentence short as I spoke_ "It's not all your fault cowboy, part of it's mine too." "We both made that choice and now we have to live with it."_ As I said this, the realization set in. We would be having a baby, an actual little human being that we would have to take care of for the rest of our lives. I sighed deeply and fell into his chest. _"C'mon ash, let's get to bed." _I looked up to see his strong arms reaching out to me. I took his hand and slowly got back up. I finally made it to the bed. Caleb climbed in and I snuggled close to him. The next morning we heard a loud knock on the trailer door. "Hold on, I'm coming!" Caleb yelled though the trailer walls. I sat up to see who wanted to bother us at six in the morning. _"Well good to see you're up!"_ His grey moustache moved as he spoke_. "Jack-"_

"_Now Caleb let me get a word in here will ya?" "I heard the news from Amy…."_as he said this his old wise eyes stared at me._ "I came here to talk to you two about your situation." "Now I know a baby might seem like a burden but, I remember when I was on the circuit and Lindy had told me she was pregnant with Marion." "I told her I was happy but the only thing that I could think of was how I only had 25$ with me and I was sitting in a little hotel room wondering how I was supposed to provide for this new baby that was coming. Now it might seem like the worst possible time to have a baby but if you two love each other enough all the small stuff will just work it's self out." _

"_Thanks Jack, we both really appreciate it." _I said as I stood up off the bed.


End file.
